Daigotsu Hoturi
Daigotsu Hoturi was originally a doppelganger of Doji Hoturi made by Bayushi Kachiko using the Egg of P'an Ku. The creature did not originally have a name, as it was masquerading as Hoturi, who had been captured and secretly imprisoned by Kachiko, but it came to be known as the False Hoturi. Creation The False Hoturi was created in 1127 Time of the Void, p. 33 the night before the Test of the Emerald Champion Disfavored (Ambition's Debt Foil Chase Cards flavor) during the Clan War by Bayushi Kachiko, who had kidnapped her former lover Doji Hoturi and used the Egg of P'an Ku to create a doppelganger. Disharmony (Ambition's Debt Foil Chase Cards flavor) It had all the memories of Hoturi's full life. Time of the Void, p. 43 Kachiko did not realize that she would be unable to control the duplicate as fully as she desired. The shadow of Hoturi could not accept that he was merely the reflection of another, more "perfect" being. He could not accept that he was a mere pawn in another mortal's games. Seeking to understand the madness that consumed P'an Ku, the False Hoturi entered the Shadowlands. He was lost to the Taint and gathered an army of corrupted Madmen. The Legion of the Dead: The False Hoturi The False Hoturi returned to the lands of the Crane, where his boorish behavior and increasingly insulting remarks began to cause great disgrace. Time of the Void, p. 34 The rise of this genocidal madman had been foretold in the First Doom of the Crane. Secrets of the Crane, p. 93 Clan War Masquerading as Hoturi, the False Hoturi attacked the troops of the Crane Clan during the Clan War using legions of Shadowlands forces, causing great confusion as well as great loss of life. The Gaijin's Guide to Rokugan - Part 4: Distant Thunder Weakened garrison of Kakita Castle In 1127 the False Hoturi led an army of Shadowlands Madmen against Kakita Castle, weakening before the advancing army led by Crab samurai Hida Sukune burned the oldest Crane castle to the ground. Only the sudden arrival of a rogue Dragon army, led by the ronin Toturi forced Sukune to retreat back to Beiden Pass. The Battle of Beiden Pass (Imperial Herald #2) Fall of Doji Castle A small garrison protected the Doji Castle, augmented by the Phoenix army led by Shiba Tsukune. In 1127 a Lion army led by Matsu Agetoki under the command of Matsu Tsuko besieged them. The defenders were able to hold out for three days, until the Lion army was forced to retreat by orders from Emperor himself. The False Hoturi, posing as the Crane Champion arrived with an army of Shadowlands Madmen, and marched against Kyuden Doji. The Lion could only watch while the False Hoturi defeated the defenders, who opened the gates thinking they had received support. The Shadowlands army decimated the dwindling forces of the Crane, The Story so Far: Shadowlands (Imperial Herald #4) under the command of Hoturi's brother, Doji Kuwanan. Clan War: Thunder's Challenge, p. 8 Fighting the Naga A Naga army commanded by Mirumoto Daini and the Dashmar were trying to reach Toturi's Army when they met False Hoturi's forces blocking the way. Both armies clashed several times, without conclusion. The minions of the Shadowlands retreatead whenever the naga gained the upper hand. Finally, another Shadowlands army led by a shugenja ambushed them, and they barely scaped alive. Clan Letter to the Naga #1 (Imperial Herald v1 #1) Unmasked All Rokugan believed this actions came from a mad Doji Hoturi, shaming the Crane Clan. After the true Hoturi was freed by Akiyoshi the doppelganger was revealed. Clan Letter to the Phoenix #1b (Imperial Herald v1 #1) Defeat In 1128 the False Hoturi with his army of oni and madmen marched against Asahina Temples. Daidoji Uji made his last stand there with his Champion returned, in the Battle of Bloodied Honor Time of the Void, pp. 74-75 along with Mirumoto Daini and an army of Naga. Before the Shadowlands army's first charge a Necromancer called out Hoturi, but Shiba Tsukune took the challenge with the Crane Champion's permission. The samurai-ko charged down and cut down the necromancer with one stroke from her naginata. The Naga charged into his ranks, with their archers fired arrows into the air. Doji Hoturi then led Daidoji Uji's forces against the personal guard of the False Hoturi. Their duel was mighty, but in the end Hoturi crushed the false one, removing his head from his body with one single stroke. The army was routed, encircled and burned. Clan Letter to the Crane #4 (Imperial Herald v1 #4) Return The False Hoturi was unmade and returned to the form of the Egg after it was defeated. A scavenging Nezumi squirreled it away to a treasure hoard of a small tribe for generations. Many years later, during the Invasion of the Celestial Heavens Fu Leng extended his power into the mortal realm, found the Egg, and restored it. Secrets of the Shadowlands, p. 49 Kyuden Kakita - 1160 The False Hoturi led forces in an attack on Kyuden Kakita in 1160. It was unknown if the attack was co-ordinated with Daidoji Megumi's assassination of Seppun Toshiken or the birth of Kakita Daimyo Kakita Noritoshi's son or both, but the assault was untimely in either case. Hoturi's forces were easily driven away by the Emerald Champion Yasuki Hachi and his Emerald Magistrates. Hachi had been advised by the Grand Master of the Elements Naka Tokei to have an additional legion of magistrates available nearby. Blessings and Curses, by Rich Wulf Daigotsu Hoturi Following his retreat from Crane lands, the False Hoturi was drawn to the City of the Lost. There, he met Daigotsu and swore allegiance to the Dark Lord becoming Daigotsu Hoturi. Fu Leng had commanded Hoturi to obey his foremost servant, Daigotsu. Unmade When in 1165 Iuchiban returned and deposed Daigotsu, he recognized the False Hoturi as a potent threat. Striking a deal with the Ninube, what Fu Leng created had to be unmade. Daigotsu Hoturi did not kneel to Iuchiban. Face of Ninube (Diamond flavor) Two powerful Ninube confronted Daigotsu Hoturi and forced his essence back into the Egg. They then Ninube offered the Egg to Iuchiban, who in turn instructed the Ninube to guard it for him, and the Egg was kept safe in the Ninube Temple Secrets of the Shadowlands, pp. 49-50 resembling a painted egg. The Egg of P'an Ku (GenCon SoCal 2003 Storyline Reading) Separate Being But Fu Leng was not defeated so easily. In taking the Daigotsu name, the False Hoturi became a true servant of the Ninth Kami. He became, and rose as a truly unique being independent of the Egg. The False Hoturi still retained a part of Doji hoturi's soul, though it has been stained by Fu Leng's blessings. Legions, Part XI Legion of the Dead The master of the Ninube, the Shadow Dragon, had wished the False Hoturi dead. In this way Hoturi reached the Realm of Thwarted Destiny, where the Dragon had plans for him. In 1166 Hoturi walked in the shadows of the Legion of the Dead. His mission was simple: to discover how the Ninth Kami's former servants had been subverted to join the Legion of Blood and return their loyalties where they belonged. Lost in the Mists of the new Realm Hoturi met Bayushi Dairu, son of his copied-brother. The False Hoturi told Dairu he had hidden him from the Shadow Dragon's sight. The beast haunted the dreams of all in this realm, seeking to corrupt the visions, and in so doing turn the realm's hunger to its own twisted purpose. Both knew they could not walk the same path and they parted ways. Legions, Part X Daigotsu's soul Recovered While Hoturi was seeing the Legion of the Dead occupying Volturnum, and the First Oni locked in combat with Akuma no Oni and Yakamo no Oni, he was visited by the Shadow Dragon. The beast told Hoturi the connection he had to a particular soul was his true goal. While the Shi-Tien Yen-Wang had been diverted from guarding Meido when they aided the Legion of the Dead at Volturnum, and Emma-O embroiled with Doji Satsume, Hoturi sneaked in the Emma-O's fortress and rescued the imprisoned half of Daigotsu's soul. The Dragon would gift it to Daigotsu, fully restoring the Dark Lord's former power. Four Winds, p. 115 In the time Hoturi spent in Meido he was able to met Satsume and pondered about his relation with his son. To Save a Soul (Imperial Herald v2 #16), by Rich Wulf See also * Daigotsu Hoturi/Meta * The False Hoturi/Diskwars * The False Hoturi/CW Meta External Links * The False Hoturi (Promo) Category:Shadowlands Personalities